Gasoline Vapors Sparked Fire That Killed Child & Great-Grandfather

Fire officials believe they know what sparked a fire that killed a four-year-old boy and his disabled great-grandfather.

63-year-old Frederick Fasegha and 4-year-old Iziah Crews died in the Monday night blaze in Rocky Mount.

The Springfield Road home had lost power because of a storm, and the fire department says they believe the fire began when Fasegha was fueling a portable generator on the back porch. They say gasoline vapors were ignited by an undetermined heat source.

They have listed the deadly fire as accidental.

Previous Story

Fire officials said a Monday night house fire has killed two people, including a young child and his disabled great-grandfather.

Rocky Mount Fire Department Assistant Chief Mike Varnell confirmed with WITN that crews were called to the 1700-block of Springfield Road in Rocky Mount around 9:50 Monday night.

Authorities say 63-year-old Frederick Fasegha and a 4-year-old boy perished in the fire. The child's great-grandmother identified the child as Iziah Crews.

Assistant Chief Varnell said the home was considered a total loss and the two victims were the only people inside the home.

Monzell Fasegha says her husband was staying at their other home last night with their grandson. She says he called saying bad storms knocked out their power.

"Everybody was his friend," Monzell says of her husband. "He didn't have no enemies. He did anything for anybody."

Monzell believes the fire started outside, and when her husband opened the back door that allowed it to come inside. Frederick Fasegha was wheelchair bound, according to his wife.

A mini van parked within feet of the home was also destroyed in the fire.

Fire investigators are now working to determine the cause of the blaze.

We encourage commenting on our stories to give you a chance to express your opinion. We rely upon the online community to report abuse. Repeat violators may be banned from posting comments.
CLICK HERE for the witn.com guidelines for posting comments.

Online Public Information File

Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or fccinfo@fcc.gov.